Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau
About 30 percent of the country’s population are suffering from mental illness, hence, the need for the National Assembly to pass the Mental Health Bill to reduce the menace.
This call was made by a Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Aremu Saad at one day Northwest Wide Public Mental Health Awareness Campaign and Interactive Session organised by the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State, held in Gusau, yesterday.
Aremu said the Mental Health Bill is paramount to reducing the high rate of mental disorders which he puts at between 20-30 percent in Nigeria.
The consultant psychiatrist said the Mental Health Bill, if passed into law, will protect the right of persons with mental disorders, ensures equal access to treatment and cure and also discourage stigma and discrimination and set standards for psychiatric practice in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, researches have actually shown 20 to 30 per cent of Nigerians are suffering from mental illness. People believe that it is not common but, from that statistics, you will agree with me that it is true so we need to do more,” he said. Aremu lamented that the attention given to mental health disorders in Nigeria is inadequate.